Feel Me
by Kymfanfics
Summary: Long time! I just wrote this up really quick based on a preview I saw for tomorrow's episode when Ahsha and Derek run into each other. Will continue later as the season unfolds. Disclaimer: I do not own Hit the Floor. No copyright infringement intended. Just a fan :)


Ahsha turned up the volume on her iPod, hoping her new playlist would drown out her thoughts and keep her focused on finishing her final lap. She left the house at the crack of dawn determined to clear her mind with a morning run at her favorite park. She needed some alone time to process her thoughts, so she snuck out quietly while German slept. Not that he'd been sleeping much anyway. He tossed and turned throughout the night lately, making it impossible for her to get a good night's sleep whenever she stayed over. German assured her it was nothing, but hearing him call out Olivia's name a few nights ago concerned her. She felt like he was hiding something, and she never felt that way about German in the past. Ahsha was done with secrets and lies. She dealt with enough secrets during her relationship with Derek to last her a lifetime.

 _Derek..._

Ahsha picked up the pace, enjoying the cool breeze against her skin. Her footsteps were in synch with the beat when they hit the ground. She concentrated hard on her run to block out her thoughts.

 _I'm fighting for what I want._

 _You talking about your deal?_

 _I'm talking about you…_

Damn. Even with her favorite songs blasting through her earbuds, her mind couldn't stop replaying the last conversation she had with Derek over a week ago. His words managed to creep in every day since then, whether she was dreaming or awake.

 _I haven't stopped loving you. I'll never stop loving you._

Ahsha wanted to scream. No matter how fast or hard she ran, his words still followed her. Before she could stop her thoughts to regroup, her mind replayed their last encounter. She pictured Derek standing in front of her in his white custom tailored suit, his brown eyes locked on hers. Derek's intense stare and his gentle tone made it clear that he still wanted her. She felt it without words.

 _I'm building a kingdom. So when you're ready, you can walk in and sit on the throne beside me._

Ahsha almost brought her run to a complete stop. Those words left her standing there speechless last week, and they still had that same effect on her. The moment they fell from his lips, her mind wouldn't let her forget them, as much as she wanted to. She assumed Derek had left her alone this entire time because he found out she and German were back together, but she was wrong. Derek told her he wasn't giving up. He spent the past few months cleaning house and getting his life together. Derek had never been one to hide his feelings about her from the first day they met, but she wasn't expecting him to come on so strong. Too strong.

She turned down her music and sighed. She was giving the whole situation too much thought. Derek was a thing of the past. German was her future. Derek had his chance and he blew it. She reminded him that love was never their problem. Ahsha couldn't deny that she still cared about him. They once had something special, a real connection. Outside of German, Derek was the only man she'd been seriously involved with in a relationship. She cared about Derek as a friend. But she had moved on.

 _Get it together_ _Ahsha,_ she mumbled underneath her breath. She couldn't believe how she still let Derek get under her skin after all this time. She knew better.

"Ahsha."

Ahsha pulled her earphones out and came to a stop when she heard her name. Her heartbeat sped up when she turned around and saw a shirtless Derek jogging in her direction.

"Hey." He smiled, looking genuinely happy to see her. She wished she felt the same but running into him aggravated her. She got up early this morning with every intention to clear her thoughts and now the one person she didn't want to see was in front of her. Again. Ahsha braced herself and decided to keep the conversation to a bare minimum. She needed to steer clear of Derek. Since she was officially an ex-Devil's girl, she figured she wouldn't run into him anymore. Unfortunately, he proved her wrong.

"Random meeting you here."

"Not so random. We used to run this park together around this time," he reminded her.

She looked down at her phone and shrugged. "Old habits, I guess."

"Hard to break." She looked up into his eyes, his penetrating stare making it hard for her to focus.

Ahsha took a deep breath. She felt him do the same. Neither of them broke eye contact, as much as she wanted one of them to look away. She never felt so awkward and comfortable at the same time.

"So how are you?"

"Super busy. Getting some good responses on my choreography."

A huge smile spread across his face. He always lit up whenever she shared good news about her career. His support was one of the things she loved about him.

"That's great, Ahsha."

She initially decided to keep the conversation short, but talking to him felt harmless. She relaxed. "How about you? They're saying on the news that you haven't signed the new contract."

He nodded. "Well thanks to the last six months, I know my worth now. Need to be aware of everyone else's too. Make sense?"

"Yea, it does."

"Your pops thinks I'm pushing the limit but I just want to leave everything on the table..." Derek paused, his eyes taking her all in before he spoke again.

"I can't have anymore regrets in my life."

Before Ahsha could respond, Derek flashed her his signature half-smile. "Have a good run, Ahsha." He gave her one last lingering look and then he was gone, his body slightly brushing up against hers as he took off.

Ahsha turned around and watched Derek as he ran onto the trail, his body eventually disappearing into the crowd of morning runners. She exhaled when he was completely out of sight. She could still smell his scent even though he was long gone. Ahsha replayed his words all the way home.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**


End file.
